The Best ///M/Barge/General Rant/Look at this/O/T(Vol XVIII)

[Crook]

L100NYY said:

I want a 500E. And a euro tunnel ticket svp

Just get a 500SL: same engine / less metal / less £££

[ferrisbueller]

Crook said:

After reminiscing post Joe's thoughtful write-up it would seem that the old EG9 is thin on the ground. I know the one my O/H had gently dissolved.

But there are a few out there and commanding equivalent money to the contemporary VWs:

£4.5k VTi





It seems like good value for the miles and originality.

But what are the EP3 ones like? There are a lot around at seemingly very sensible money. Do they have the same feeling of lightness and mega engine as the earlier cars or did it succumb to the inevitability of becoming more diluted / heavier / more powerful in the same way as the Golfs and every other hot hatch did?

£3ish K

Gearbox is a treat and the engine is a gem. A lump more torque than the earlier car and a corresponding additional bit of power. They're a bit lardier but nothing like a modern equivalent. Chuckable, quick and practical. Not sure about their longevity as I've not been in one for many years. There are still plenty about, too.

I do like a good Honda.

[Crook]

They look like quite a sensible buy at, presumably, the bottom of it's curve.

[braddo]

Only problem is that they went from a decent looking (in 3-dr) low slung hatch to a mini-MPV. The 5 door EP3 really does looks like a minivan.

[Cheburator mk2]

Crook said:

L100NYY said:

I want a 500E. And a euro tunnel ticket svp

Just get a 500SL: same engine / less metal / less £££

No flared arches, no Porsche assembly line, no mistique, no general lunacy in terms of “vhy fit ze biggest engin in ze E klasse? - becoz ve kan, ja?”

Epic, epic cars and to me strangely more desirable than the E34 M5. Except the Touring. And that comes from the biggest ///M fanboy ever - just ask barchetta boy if you don’t believe me

[olly755]

Crook said:

But what are the EP3 ones like? There are a lot around at seemingly very sensible money. Do they have the same feeling of lightness and mega engine as the earlier cars or did it succumb to the inevitability of becoming more diluted / heavier / more powerful in the same way as the Golfs and every other hot hatch did?

£3ish K

I’d always coveted one of these and finally had a chance to pedsl a mint, 50k miler last week without restriction on roads I know so well.

For somebody who generally finds the positives in most things automotive, I honestly couldn’t have been more disappointed. Cracking (ever so slightly coarse/buzzy?) engine let down by a stiff, vague gear change, Citroen Berlingo driving position and very curious steering with seemingly zero castor/self centring resulting in no feel, no messages, and no confidence. I was glad to hand it back. Not for me.

[ferrisbueller]

Either they age badly or you've driven one with some issues.

[L100NYY]

Love the colour of this.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-Elan-Plus-2/11279...

====

[shirt]

that's lovely!

i was bidding on a 1965 elan s2 project last week. at the end of the auction i had the high bid but then the seller elected to continue to play me off against another bidder. that and the fact i'd have to restore it out here in dubai and then drive it on these roads saw me elect to withdraw. shame though as i have a red/black elise and thought about emulating this one for matching pair:



https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C875662

my disappointment lasted all of one morning as i'd already agreed to buy something else which is totally impractical and will eat up all my time and money. can't seem to add photos but i've bought an engine-less radical sr8!

[L100NYY]

That red S2 is rather fantasic isn't it

Good work on the Radical! Is it just the engine that it's missing?

[shirt]

engine, gearbox, ecu and air jacks. those have gone into a stretched exige chassis with the rpe v8 tuned to 500bhp. owner plans to hillclimb it.

i am thinking subaru ej20 and shortened 5 speed transaxle. there's an sr3 been done in the states using a cayman 6 speed but i think the subaru unit will be shorter and allow a lighter flywheel. also the engine bay is larger so hopefully not too much cutting.

lots to learn but should be a fun project.

[L100NYY]

That sounds like a great project, Subaru lump should be good with its low CofG non? Plus tuneable I guess?

How about a light and revvy V6....Mazda maybe?

[shirt]

low cofg was the main choice. easy to come by out here, ton of aftermarket support. my current track car is a clio cup so easy to start out with stock power and go up from there. winced at the cost of a sequential kit though and even a dog box will be £££ so still open to suggestion. main issue is transaxle choice, seems nice and easy doing it the subaru way.

[L100NYY]

Certainly can't argue with your logic and the Subaru route, dead jealous of a very exciting project and always great to put your own stamp on something like this

Edited by L100NYY on Sunday 4th February 13:12

[L100NYY]

This afternoon I am mostly thinking about an early morning cross country blast in......

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C9390

===============

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jagua...

[L100NYY]

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

[shirt]

loving that!

yeah its going to be a fun one, i'm pretty made up with it to be honest as it cost me very little and it has a lot of expensive parts. going to take me a month or so to do my homework and find a drivetrain but i hope to move fairly quickly thereafter with a plan to have it trackworthy by october [start of the trackday/race season here]. i'll star a thread in readers cars once i have enough to make it interesting.

[ATM]

I quite fancy an E64 650i convertible. Partly because you can get them for less than 10 grand and partly because I love the engine in my 550i so whats not to like? Any horror stories about the roofs self destructing? Anything I need to know?

[barchetta_boy]

Is that the4.8 V8? I’m old enough that any BMW with 50i in the name really ought to be a 12. But sure it would be great with the V8 too, especially if you loosen the exhaust tone a little bit.

I had a woman client who had one of these, in manual! Instantly marked her out as a proper petrolhead

In other news I’ve just done the school run in snow and -2 in my E 46 M3 with winter tires, and thanks to cheburator, Porsche brakes which feel fantastic. A good afternoons work!

[ATM]

barchetta_boy said:

Is that the4.8 V8? I’m old enough that any BMW with 50i in the name really ought to be a 12. But sure it would be great with the V8 too, especially if you loosen the exhaust tone a little bit.

I had a woman client who had one of these, in manual! Instantly marked her out as a proper petrolhead

In other news I’ve just done the school run in snow and -2 in my E 46 M3 with winter tires, and thanks to cheburator, Porsche brakes which feel fantastic. A good afternoons work!

Dont tell me you have just discovered winter boots?